Completely new to wood stoves, please help!

[Jay Monte]

Hey everyone,

I just picked up a used Avalon Arbor stove and I'm excited to get it up and running. My problem is I jumped into this head first and I'm having some trouble understanding proper installation procedures. I'm looking for some insight regarding installation. So, to start off.....

The stove is going to be installed in the living room on the main floor of the house (ranch style with attic space above living room) Floors are hardwood, sheetrock on the wall. I'm looking to put the stove as close to one wall as possible, no side walls within 5ft to the left or right.


Is there a standard in which the platform for the stove needs to be built? I was thinking 3/4" wood on bottom, cement board on top of that, then a tile or stone on top of the cement board.

Tile or bricking the back wall... is this necessary? If so, do you just tile to over the sheetrock or do you remove the sheetrock and install cement board for the tile or brick?

Reading the directions about clearances from the wall, the installation manual gives me a few options, single wall chimney/single wall w/pipe shield/double wall. The single wall with pipe shield shows to be the least amount of clearance. Chimney specs are a complete mystery to me, Im being told by one local place that since I'm passing through my ceiling and roof, that I need dual wall from top to bottom, another place told be I can run dual wall in the living room and switch to galvanized in the attic

Clarifications on Chimney requirements needed desperately! Also, Im estimating an approx 15ft run from the stove to 3' above the peak of the roof. How much should this cost? can anyone recommend where to get a good deal on the chimney parts?


Thanks in advance,

Jason

 

[jeff_t]

Welcome.

Read this
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/downdraft-stove-operation/

Another good thread
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/avalon-arbor.63027/

Lopi Leyden and Avalon Arbor are the same stove, made by Travis Industries. Not their best design, but some have success with it. Might not be the best choice for a first stove. Not trying to discourage you, just making you aware that it is not the easiest stove to operate.

Here is a starter for chimney basics and what you will need
http://www.northlineexpress.com/chi.../chimney-pipe/help-pipe-install-planning.html

You don't need anything on the walls, as long as proper clearnaces to combustibles are observed. Most do it for looks.

I think that stove just needs a non-combustible hearth. You can build it up with framing and make a raised hearth, or you can just screw cement board to the subfloor and lay some tile, or something in between.

 

[Jags]

Get a manual for that stove. It will have install specs (which change from stove to stove). You will want to follow the clearance to combustibles for the back spacing AND you will want to take a look at what is required for the hearth. Some stoves get away with ember protection, others need to meet a specific R value.

 

[corey21]

i would also start thinking about getting ahead on your wood supply for next year. Dry seasoned wood as very important for getting the most efficient operation of your stove and to prevent creosote issues.

 

[Jay Monte]

Thanks, I appreciate the help. Ive read that these stoves need to be shut down in stages to get a nice slow burn going. Ive read through the manual a few times, just not familiar with the terminology used in it. From the places Ive called, Ive been getting quotes between $1k-$1500 for the chimney system (not installed). Is this right?

Also, approximately how much wood do you guys go thru a season (say between october and february)? I know this is subjective but a ballpark figure will definitely help to be prepared

 

[blades]

That's is perhaps a tad high on the materials without install for a ranch, but prices very some and it has been 3 or 4 years since I put the last flue system in. If you have a detailed quote check out against on line sales units, I am pretty sure I spent less than a grand for components at the time. list would be something like this with an 8ft ceiling: double wall pipe1-3',1-2',1-2' sliding ( adjustable to about 3ft or so) sections, transition unit to go through ceiling and adapt to triple wall , Likely need about 9 ft of triple wall in sections, flashing to pass through roof, rain collar, and a flue cap to match triple wall. Depends a bit on pitch of roof and if a cathedral ceilling and such.

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

That depends on the manufacturer of the class A chimney you are looking at, and your location. In my area you would probably pay about that much for a full system including connector pipe if it were stainless steel simpson duravent. We sell Metal-Fab and would probably come a little bit under that but not a whole lot. Don't skimp on your chimney, and do buy it used unless you find something in GREAT shape that is still currently made.

If it were me, I'd do two or even three layers of concrete board right on the subfloor and tile it but I'm kind of a belt AND suspenders type of guy.

That is a very pretty woodstove, score!

 

[fossil]

The proper flue system for this installation is single-wall or double-wall stove pipe (also called connector pipe) up to a ceiling support box where the transition is made from stove pipe to Class A chimney pipe. The Class A chimney pipe must be used from there to daylight. There are some specific rules to be followed concerning how far above the roof penetration the Class A chimney needs to rise before it's capped. The only galvanized material that might be seen is the outer sheathing of the Class A chimney pipe. Nothing the flue gases actually contact should be galvanized steel. The stove pipe is steel, the Class A chimney is stainless steel inside, then insulated from the outer sheathing. Installing a proper flue system up through a ceiling, then an attic, then a roof is something one must plan carefully. You don't want to have it all mapped out in your head and start cutting into your house and find a ceiling joist smack in the middle of where you thought the flue was going to go. Likewise with the roof structure. Don't mess with structural parts of your house unless you really know what you're doing. Give us all the info & details you can and it always helps to see some pics of where this deed is to be done. Welcome to the forums! Rick

 

[RockyMtnHigh]

Fossil made a great point. Here is something to get you started in the planning stages http://www.mtlfab.com/media/L944.pdf Keep in mind, this is just for this particular manufacturer and all of them are different. It does however give you a great overview of how a chimney system should be planned.

 

[Jay Monte]

I need to move some furniture around to free up the area where I plan on putting the stove. Once I get that stuff out of the way, I'll post some pics of the room, with measurements. I'm really looking forward to getting the stove up and running!